Regenerator-chamber.



`H. F. MILLER, IR.

REGENERATOR CHAMBER. l APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, |913. 19173997, Patented Feb; 29,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. F. MILLER, In.

REGENERATOR CHAMBER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2B. 1913.

I. 9 g'., Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lj if HERBERT F. MILLER, JR., OF WILLIAIVISPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

REGENERATOR-CHAMBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29), 119116.

Application led October 28, 1913. Serial No. 797,727. i

T all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT F. MILLER,

Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing 'at Williamsport, in. the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Re- `generator-Chambers, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to that type of regenerators in which the products of combustion from a furnace or hearth are utilized to heat the incoming air or gaseous fuel, or both the air and fuel, and the invention is more especially adapted to that class of regenerators wherein checker-work formed of fire brick, tiles and the like, vis employed, which, becoming highly heated by the outgoing passage of the products of combustion therethrough, will impart this heat to the incoming gaseous fuel and air flowing through the checker-work. In the use of regenerators. of this type, the chief causes of deterioration are the deposit of dust and dirt in the checkerwork openings, and the slag ging of the brick, this latter action being caused by the chemical action of the deposited dust in the form of iron oXid in the presence of high heat. The deposit of dust and dirt in thechecker-work openings is due mainly to the passage of the products of combustion therethrough in a downward direction, and to the inability to readily clean the checker-work witho-ut removing the same, which latter operation is' objectionable in respect to the liability of spaling the brick by handling.

It is the aim of my invention to overcome theseobjections and to produce a construc- Ition of regenerator in which the liability of straight path in their passage from the downtake to the stack. The checker-work is so disposed in this chamber, that air spaces will be left at opposite ends, which will cause the products of combustion to slow down in their flow and deposit the suspended dust on the floors of the air spaces, from which these deposits may be removed through doors entering the air spaces from the outside. At certain periods in the operation of the furnace, say at the end of the week after the last heat is out, the cold air maybe turned into the checker work that is to be cleaned, and after the temperature of the same has in this way been sufiiciently reduced, a workman may enter, and by means of compressed air or steam, the checker-work openings may be freed of such deposits as may have occurred.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in the form which at the present time I deem most suitable for the results to be attained; but it will be understood that the construction may be modified and changed in many particulars and details without departing from the limits of my invention; and further it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an open hearth of a regenerative furnace showing my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of one of the regenerator chambers partly in section. Fig. 4. is an elevation of the same partly in section. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings: I have shown my invention applied, by way of example, in connection with an o-pen hearth furnace 1A, connected at each end with two regenerator chambers, 2 and 3, for air and gaseous fuel respectively, the said chambers communieating vat their ends distantv from the furnace, with a chimney or stack 4, by means of horizontal flues 5, 5a, leading from the chambers 2, and flues 6 and 6, leading from the chambers 3. At their opposite ends the chambers communicate with vertical flues 8 -and 9 (serving as downtake or uptake fines according to the direction of flow of the currents) leading respectively from the opposite ends of the furnace, the communication of chamber 2 with said iiues being by means of horizontal flues 10, 10, and the communication of chamber 3 with said flues being by means of horizontal lues 11, 11. At their opposite ends chambers 3 are also connected by means of gas sewers 12, 12, with a source of gaseous fuel supply,K in thepresent instance a gas producer furnace 13. The several iues, 5, 5a, 6, 6a, and the gas sewers,f

spaces 16, 16, at each end of the chamber,

the sides of which spaces converge at an easy rangle as the flue ends are approached. As

, a result of this construction and disposition of the parts, the products of combustion are `not compelle to passdownwardly through the checker-work openings in exit to the stack, but they will pursue a horizontal straight and direct course .from the lower ends of the .downtakes to the fiues leading to the stack, the flowing currents before entering the checker-work openings being slowed up in the enlarged space, and the dust and dirt held in suspension being deposited on the floor ofsaid space. The deposits may be conveniently removed through ya door 17, in thevside of the space, which door ofcourse will be sealed up when not 1n use. The checker-work is 'preferably built on the floor of the chamber, thereby avoiding the use of the usual unstablesupporting tiles and rider walls, and `occupying the entire cross-sectional area of the'chamber with their ends extending clearly there-across, there will be a uniform distribution of air and waste gases through the chamber, due to the opportunity afforded in the air space for the currents to spread over the entire crosssection of the checker-work. As a result there `will be increased eiiciency in the opery'ation'of'thef-urnace, and a minimum deposit of dust and dirt on the bricks of the checker- ,work nearest the hearth. Also, by reason of the disposition of the checker-work as described, both ends of the same are readily i accessible from the air chambers for cleanlng-purposes, and such deposits in the openings as may occur, may be removed by workmenv in the'air spaces by the use of comfinding their 1 ygenerator chamber,

pressed air or steam and without the necessity of touching or handling the bricks, it of course being necessary to first' reduce the temperature of the checker-work suiiciently to permit workmen to occupy the air spaces.

While in the drawings I have disclosed a checker-work structure formed of fire brick, and while in the` specification I have referred to this structure as a checker-work, and further while the structure is also referred to by such distinctionI in the claims, it will be understood that the expression is intended to embrace not only checker-work structures per se as made up of lire bricks, but all equivalent devices and structures having the capability of absorbing heat from the products of combustion, to the incoming air or gaseous fuel, provided these structures are adapted for operation and vuse under the conditions above mentioned. l

Having thus described my invention what Iclaimis: Y

1. In combination with a furnace, an upright flue communicating with the same, a horizontal flue leading from the lower end of the upright flue, a regenerator chamber of relatively greater cross sectional area than that of the flue, said regenerator cham.-

ber being connected with the flue and forming a horizontal enlarged continuation of the same, whereby the gaseous currents will be slowed up as they enter the enlarged reand the dust and dirt and imparting the same held in suspension will be deposited on the floor of said chamber, a horizontal flue leading from the opposite end ofthe regenerator chamber, and a checkerwork in said regenerator chamber extendingv throughout the crossl sectional area of the same, said checkerwork terminating at its ends inward of the ends of the chamber, thereby leaving cleaning spaces in the chamber at" opposite ends of the checkerwork dn which cleaning spaces the entire transverse area of the ends of the checkerwork are respectively exposed.

2. In combination with a furnace, an upright flue communicating with the same, a

horizontal lueleading from the lower end of the upright iue, a regenerator chamber of relatively greater cross sectional area than that ofthe flue, said regenerator chamber being connected .with the flueand forming a horizontal enlarged continuation of the same, whereby the gaseous currents will be slowed up as they enter the enlarged regenerator chamber, and the dust and dirt held in suspension will be deposited on the floor of said chamber, a horizontal flue leading from the opposite end of the regenerator chamber, and atcheckerwork in said regenerator chamber extendingl throughout the cross sectional area of the same, said checkerwork terminating-at its ends inwardof the ends of the chamber, thereby leaving cleaning spaces in the chamber at opposite ends of the checkerwork in which cleaning spaces the entire transverse area of the ends of the checkerwork are respectively exposed, the

side walls of said cleaning spaces sloping in-l wardly toward the respective ues.

In testimony whereof I have afxed my i signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HERBERT E. MILLER, JR.

Witnesses: r

EMMA F. AINsWoRTH, HENRY C. PARSONS. 

